There are so many reasons why tree maintenance is important. You can have the most beautiful yard right now, with majestic trees and lush greeneries. But without proper care, your plants may gradually wither and die. Trees need proper care to thrive and stay attractive. With proper care, they can add value to your home, help the environment and reduce tree-related hazards. In this article, you will find useful tree maintenance tips to help you give your plants the best care, and keep them healthy, happy, and beautiful.
1. Know your trees
To be able to give the best possible care to a tree, you must first know and understand their needs. Different tree species will have different needs. Identifying them will help you understand things like how much water they need, what type of soil is best for their roots and what kind of trimming is required. Incorrectly caring for your trees could do more harm than good so be sure to understand their needs first. Research your tree’s needs or ask a professional arborist to have a better idea of how to give proper tree care and guarantee its healthy growth.
2. Prune
When caring for trees, it is important to remove dead branches and leaves so that new ones can grow. Trimming will also prevent your trees from causing serious damage to your property, injury to children and passersby, and spread of disease to other parts of your plant. Prune your trees during late winter or early spring, when they are dormant and without leaves. Then, in the summer, clear out damaged or dead twigs.
3. Practice proper watering
Just like any other living thing, your trees need water. If it has been some time since the last rainfall, check to see if your tree needs some water. Mature trees usually just need one inch of water a week. However, new trees need more water to survive and will require about 10 gallons of water per inch of the trunk’s diameter during the first growing season. As your tree grows, its roots get more established and they will be able to obtain water from other areas by themselves.
4. Apply mulch
Aside from making your yard more aesthetically pleasing, mulch protects your trees from lawn mower cuts, suppresses weeds, and prevents the soil from drying. Furthermore, it can also fight pests and prevent frost heaving in winter. Mulch can be very beneficial, especially for trees that have just been replanted and, surprisingly, mulching is easy. You can use dead leaves, chopped wood and bark chips that you can find around your yard. Just learn the basics of mulching before application and find the best mulch that will work with your trees, some mulch types can cater to the unique needs of specific trees.
5. Check the soil conditions.
Checking soil conditions is crucial in tree maintenance. Determining the type of soil where your tree is planted will influence how much water can be stored and how often you will need to water your tree. Soils that have more clay can hold more water and need less watering. On the other hand, sandy soil has less moisture so you will need to water your tree more frequently. Also, test your soil regularly to see if any elements are missing or short in supply. This is especially important if you have a seedling or your tree have just been replanted. Soil testing will help you determine the pH levels and minerals already in your soil, and what you can do to improve it. To further ensure your tree’s healthy growth, apply a slow-release fertiliser regularly to release nutrients into the soil.
6. Be wary of pests and diseases
Pests and diseases could kill your trees, no matter how much effort you’ve put into caring for them. Make a habit of carefully checking your tree for unusual spots on leaves, fungi and changes in their structure. These are indications that pests and diseases are affecting your tree. There are insect control formulas and fungicides that will be available at your local garden store. However, it is best to contact a professional arborist to help you deal with infestation and plant disease. They are tree doctors and will know what steps to take in dealing with your tree concerns. If your tree needs to be removed completely, to protect your home and other plants around it, a professional arborist will suggest it.
7. Hire a professional arborist.
All the above tree care tips will be helpful in keeping your yard looking beautiful and healthy. When it comes to the benefits of having a healthy tree, the list is endless. Positive conditions for your plants also mean a more pleasant environment for you and your family. Nevertheless, you will need to thoroughly understand how to properly do the above-mentioned tree maintenance tips in order to make them successful. If you have little to no idea on how to perform them correctly, seek professional help from a reliable arborist. They can assist you in planting new seedlings, help you with the tree maintenance work that needs to be done, and give you sound advice on how to take care of old trees.
For more tree maintenance tips and all kinds of tree works, talk to any of our certified arborists at Tall Timbers Tree Services. Or get a free quote by calling us on 0414 627 627 today!